Uttar Pradesh: 'Development' is the biggest poll issue for voters

Lucknow, May 9: As the Lok Sabha election 2014 has reached in its final stages, Uttar Pradesh is set to hold elections in 18 parliamentary constituencies, on May 12.

"Mother of all top contests" will take place in the holy city Varanasi, where the BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal and Congress candidate Ajay Rai are pitted against each other.

As the voters in Uttar Pradesh gear up to elect their leaders in the final stretch, lets take a look at what are the key poll issues for them.

According to a CSDS survey conducted in March 2014, 20 per cent voters feel that development is the biggest poll issue for them, 17 per cent are concerned about rising prices and corruption. Eight per cent voters are serious about unemployment issue. For 5 per cent voters, bad condition of roads are the biggest issue.

Others are concerned about issues like law and order, agriculture related problems, water, electricity problems, etc.

In the survey, none of the respondents said that "caste or religion" is any issue for them.

BSP supremo Mayawati, who is hoping to come back to power in Uttar Pradesh, has said that price rise and corruption are major issues that affect not only middle classes but just about everyone.

During a rally in Agra last month, she said, "Uttar Pradesh was in a mess with rising crimes against women, loot, arson, murders and communal strifes, as in Muzaffarnagar and Shamli. Even the apex court has held the Samajwadi Party responsible for the tension in western Uttar Pradesh. The alarming law and order situation has halted developmental activities in the state."

Last year, UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had said that he hopes that the state would get the support of World Bank so that development and infrastructure projects can move forward.